WHO: Ebola an international health emergency

WHO has urged member nations to donate money and resources to help Africa fight the Ebola outbreak

Ebola has killed 936 people so far, in a massive outbreak in Africa

Singapore: The World Health Organization has declared that the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. WHO has urged member nations to donate money and resources to stop the Ebola menace that has killed around 936 people so far, according to the UN health agency.

The latest Ebola outbreak is the largest and longest ever recorded for the disease with a fatality rate of 50 percent. It emerged in Guinea in March and has since spread to Sierra Leone, Liberia and Nigeria.

Dr Margaret Chan, director, WHO said that the affected countries did not have the capacity to manage an outbreak of this size and complexity on their own. She called upon the international community to provide urgent support to these countries and help them fight the epidemic.

Global experts however feel that mere statements by the WHO will not save lives. Dr Bart Janssens, director of operations for the Doctors Without Borders charity group, that assists Ebola patients in the affected regions said, "The response by health agencies have been very slow. A massive medical, epidemiological and public health response is desperately needed to save people."

Countries across the globe have extended their financial assistance to curb the spread. The World Bank pledged up to $200 million in emergency funding to help the countries affected by Ebola and strengthen public health systems across West Africa.

The European Union said it would chip in $10.7 million for Ebola efforts and send a second mobile lab to help with diagnostics. USAID also announced it would invest an extra $12.45 million to support the fight against Ebola.